…Demands apology to Cardinal Onaiyekan, Catholic Church —
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Presidency’s reported criticism of the Catholic Church and Cardinal John Onaiyekan, accusing the Tinubu administration of intolerance towards dissent and independent voices.
Mr Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), said the Presidency should have addressed the concerns raised by the Catholic bishops rather than attacking the clerics.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice-president described the Presidency’s reaction as an attempt to intimidate and discredit religious leaders for speaking about the challenges confronting Nigerians.
“The Catholic Church has, for generations, stood as one of the moral voices of our nation. Its bishops and priests have consistently spoken for the poor, the oppressed and the vulnerable, irrespective of who occupies Aso Rock.
“Their duty is not to flatter those in power but to speak truth to power,” Mr Abubakar said.
He commended the Catholic bishops for what he described as their courage in speaking directly to President Bola Tinubu about the country’s challenges.
“The Catholic bishops demonstrated rare courage by looking the President in the face and telling him the bitter truth about the state of the nation. That is precisely what patriotic religious leaders are called to do—not to decorate power with praise, but to confront it with truth,” he said.
Mr Abubakar urged religious leaders across different denominations and faiths to speak out whenever the country’s interests were at stake.
“We urge other religious leaders, regardless of denomination or faith, to emulate this example by speaking truth to power whenever the nation’s interest demands it,” he added.
The former vice-president criticised the language allegedly used by the Presidency against Cardinal Onaiyekan, describing the cleric as a respected religious leader and an influential voice within the Catholic Church.
He said the Presidency’s reaction was disrespectful to the Church and millions of Nigerian Catholics.
